Multi-streaming processors capable of processing multiple threads are known in the art, and have been the subject of considerable research and development. The present invention takes notice of the prior work in this field, and builds upon that work, bringing new and non-obvious improvements in apparatus and methods to the art. The inventors have provided with this patent application an Information Disclosure Statement listing a number of published papers in the technical field of multi-streaming processors, which together provide additional background and context for the several aspects of the present invention disclosed herein.
For purposes of definition, this specification regards a stream in reference to a processing system as a hardware capability of the processor for supporting and processing an instruction thread. A thread is the actual software running within a stream. For example, a multi-streaming processor implemented as a CPU for operating a desktop computer may simultaneously process threads from two or more applications, such as a word processing program and an object-oriented drawing program. As another example, a multi-streaming-capable processor may operate a machine without regular human direction, such as a router in a packet switched network. In a router, for example, there may be one or more threads for processing and forwarding data packets on the network, another for quality-of-service (QoS) negotiation with other routers and servers connected to the network and another for maintaining routing tables and the like. The maximum capability of any multi-streaming processor to process multiple concurrent threads remains fixed at the number of hardware streams the processor supports. A multi-streaming processor operating a single thread runs as a single-stream processor with unused streams idle. For purposes of the present specification a stream is considered an active stream at all times the stream supports a thread, and otherwise inactive.
As described above and in the papers provided by IDS in the present case, superscalar processors are also known in the art. This term refers to processors that have multiples of one or more types of functional units, and an ability to issue concurrent instructions to multiple functional units. Most central processing units (CPUs) built today have more than a single functional unit of each type, and are thus superscalar processors by this definition. Some have many such units, including, for example, multiple floating point units, integer units, logic units, load/store units and so forth. Multi-streaming superscalar processors are known in the art as well.
The inventors have determined that there is a neglected field in the architecture for all types of multi-streaming processors, including, but not limited to the types described above: The neglected field is that of communications between concurrent streams and types of control that one active stream may assert on another stream, whether active or not, so that the activity of multiple concurrent threads may be coordinated, and so that activities such as access to functional units may be dynamically shared to meet diverse needs in processing.
Accordingly, what is clearly needed in the art is apparatus and methods for more sophisticated interstream control and communication in all processor architectures that support multi-streaming or multi-threading, including but not limited to superscalar processors and processors that interleave instructions. The present invention teaches such apparatus and methods, which are disclosed below in enabling detail. Significant added flexibility, efficiency, and robustness are provided to multistream processor architectures and the ability to handle time-critical threads is enhanced at relatively low cost in the number of additional gates for implementation, as well as considerable additional benefits.